Communities must organize to tackle rising antisemitism, Columbia prof tells Calgary audience

By Mark Cooper for JNF Calgary

(Calgary) – A well-organized Jewish community that uses the varied strengths and skills of individuals can help “fight back” and overcome the overt antisemitism sweeping the Western world, a Columbia University professor turned leading Jewish civil rights activist told an audience of more than 300 at Calgary’s Beth Tzedec Synagogue.

Shai Davidai told the crowd at the May 8 Negev Event Moving Forward: Jewish Civil Rights in a New Era, that each person needs to contribute whatever personal talents or attributes they have to fight for the truth against a well-coordinated campaign of anti-Jewish, anti-Israel propaganda unleashed on Western streets and campuses after the October 7 terrorist attack on Southern Israel.

“We’ve come together as a community to get emotional support and physical support, now it’s time for us to use that community to organize and to fight back – and when I say fight back I always mean non-violently and peacefully,” said Davidai, who became the face of Jewish resistance at U.S. Ivy League schools when he was locked out of his university for speaking out against on-campus harassment of Jewish students.

“But I remind people, don’t confuse peacefulness and non-violence with submissiveness,” he said during an engaging fireside-style chat with author, journalist Warren Kinsella, a staunch supporter of Israel and the Jewish people.

“One thing I never do is cede my ground. If I’m standing somewhere in public where I’m allowed to stand, I don’t care if it is one protestor or a thousand protestors, you’ll have to drag me out of there because it’s my right to be there.”

Kinsella, who just returned from Tel Aviv where he was filming a documentary on anti-Israel propaganda, agreed that the community must be relentless in its efforts to tackle antisemitism.

“This is a battle for civilization,” said Kinsella. “This is a battle for the future of our children and our children’s children. It’s essential that we prevail.”

The 41-year-old Davidai captivated the audience at the fundraising event hosted by JNF Calgary and Israel Magen Fund of Canada (IMFoC) when he spoke of how he implausibly found himself at the centre of the fight for Jewish human rights and the subject of both online admiration from people supportive of his courage and scorn from others, some who have issued death threats to him and his family.

And while the death threats have been extremely unsettling, Davidai said his biggest disappointment has been the total absence of support from colleagues and school administrators, who were often copied on threatening letters he received, but stayed silent and did nothing.

Still, and with the encouragement and support of his wife Yardenne, he won’t stop using his knowledge and ability to synthesize information quickly and present it assertively in the battle against anti-Jewish, anti-Israel and anti-American hate.

“I don’t expect everyone do the same. I expect everyone to do something based on their own skills.”

People with political skills should run for anything to be “in the room” when decisions are made. People with good writing skills must write to local newspapers with pro-Israel, pro-Jewish information and to speak of their personal experiences. Those influential in lobbying skills should contact representatives, fight against representatives who show bias against the Jewish cause and show support for representatives who are aligned.

Those with means should use disposable income to support Jewish causes. The community should identify Jewish youth who want to fight back and help them make connections with politicians and other influential people.

“Young Jewish people, they want to fight back. They are an incredible generation. They are a silver lining in everything but they lack something you all have, which is experience, which is network connections …

“The only thing that we can do wrong is if we do nothing and unfortunately we have done nothing for too long and now it’s time for us to do something.”

The event prominently featured this year’s JNF honouree, Calgary Heritage Member of Parliament Shuvaloy (Shuv) Majumdar for his relentless support of the Jewish community since the October 7 attacks and the subsequent rise of antisemitism throughout Canada.

Majumdar confessed he felt awkward being honoured by JNF because he said it is his privilege to be a voice of a Jewish people whose teachings and “pursuit of truth through inquiry as love and critical thinking” is fundamental as the world battles against authoritarian regimes who seek to rewrite and revisit history, and who traffic in ignorance.

“In these times of anxiety, how distinctly important Jewish contributions are, that the antidote to tyrants and tyranny is literacy and knowledge, that the antidote to mob rule is critical thinking and the antidote to technology and the ways it is abused is through human connection,” said Majumdar.

“When the fight to uphold the promise of Canada sometimes feels more difficult than ever, my message is very simple: We will never give up. We will continue to confront extremism at every turn, on our nation’s streets, at our schools, our sanctuaries and in our nation’s parliament.”

JNF Calgary President Cheryl Gurevitch said it’s essential that the community heed the words of Davidai and Majumdar.

“We must continue to come together and go to rallies, share emails and social media posts, walk for hostages, write to our elected officials, speak up and educate ourselves,” she told the audience.

“It’s not easy work. It takes effort, time, patience and perseverance. And while we’re profoundly grateful for the support of our allies, we must be prepared to defend ourselves, by ourselves, just like the modern State of Israel.”

With that work, Davidai sees a future where truth and goodness will once again triumph over hate and intolerance.

“If we all fight together and do this together … Jews and our non-Jewish allies … I truly believe that we can push back against this wave of hate,” said Davidai.

“We can minimize the damage and make sure that when my son, nine years from now goes to college, he’ll never have to experience that.”

JNF Calgary Executive Director Elliot Steinberg said the Negev event met its fundraising goal for the Ashdod Rehabilitation & Therapy Centre. The state-of-the-art centre fills a critically important need to address a severe shortage of rehabili­tation services in southern Israel, where the healthcare system is stretched far be­yond its breaking point, worsening since the start of the October 7 war.

“What you just saw on video is a great example of what we do at JNF,” Steinberg told the audience. “Over the last 124 years we’ve raised funds for the things that Israel needs most.

“The need for this rehabilitation and therapy centre is crucial to the people of Southern Israel. The end of the war is anyone’s guess. Israelis have suffered immeasurably and have a long road ahead to recover their lives.”

Editor’s Note: If you missed seeing Columbia Professor Shai Davidai at the Calgary Negev Gala, please note that he will be speaking in Edmonton at the Negev Gala  on June 18 along with Noa Argamani. Click here for ticket information.